ELECTRICAL DETECTOR FOR LIQUID METAL LEAKS

United States Patent Application

A liquid metal leak detector system including a direct current (DC) power supply and a plurality of analog to digital converters connected to the DC power supply. Each converter includes a liquid metal switch, where the liquid metal switch is closed in event of a liquid metal leak since the liquid metal leak causes electrical continuity between a conductive sheeting and a housing for liquid metal. The converter also includes a comparator connected to both the liquid metal switch for converting an analog signal into a digital signal, wherein the digital signal is configured such that a high signal constitutes no leak and a low signal constitutes a leak. An AND gate is also connected to each of the plurality of converters for combining all of the digital signals output from the converters, the AND gate configured such that the AND gate outputs a high signal if all of its inputs are high and a low signal if any input is low.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] This invention was made with government support under Grant # DE-AC02-09CH11466 awarded by the Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.